Summary: In six weeks, Zoe Harper will marry Dan Costi in an over-the-top Sydney society wedding, complete with fire-eaters and belly dancers. But when she receives an unexpected gift from her future mother-in-law, Zoe realises she’s making a huge mistake. In a blazing sidewalk argument, she breaks up with her fiancé—and his mother, who has joined the fight via conference call.

Following the advice of friends and co-workers, along with some inspiration from late-night-television self-help guru Dr. Pam, Zoe sets out to find the life she thinks she should be living. Always a planner, she makes a list of goals: travel, career, tattoos, and no romantic entanglements. It’s all carefully laid out, until she meets Angus Creed.

Angus is supposed to lead the opening waltz at a charity ball in New York City. Only problem is the handsome billionaire construction magnate with the tabloid past can’t dance. Not one step.

Tainted by gossip and with a well-publicised failed engagement behind him, Angus has become a master at keeping an emotional distance. Until he meets Zoe.

What starts as dancing lessons slowly becomes something more. Angus begins to let down his guard and open his heart, even when his past makes an unexpected and unwelcome return. As Zoe discovers the real man behind the headlines, she questions where her new choices are taking her. Her goals look good on paper, but are they what she really wants? And by the time she realizes where her heart lies, will it be too late?

Read an Excerpt!

Guitar music starts filtering through just as I’m drifting back to sleep. It’s a lovely sound, soft and gentle. It rises and falls so evenly, almost in time with my breathing, and I could listen to it forever. Except, I’m supposed to be alone in this cabin, so that means there shouldn’t be guitar music.Shit.My eyes snap open.Did I leave a radio on? Is there even a radio here? What if it’s an axe murderer? Are they usually musical?The music keeps playing as I climb slowly out of bed and, thankfully, the room doesn’t spin quite so much this time. The door is open a crack, and when I peek into the living room, my hangover evaporates and my heart starts crashing against my ribs.There is a man sitting on the sofa.Who the fuck is he? And what did I do last night? My stomach drops to my toes.Whoever he is, he’s made himself at home. His bare feet are resting on the edge of the coffee table. There’s a blanket thrown over the arm of the sofa. Across his lap he holds a guitar. He’s frowning, lips pursed slightly, as he studies the movement of his long fingers over the strings. His body moves subtly in time with his music. The muscles in his forearm roll and flex as he plays.Despite the shock of finding him here, I’m struck by the beauty of his pose. The way he holds the guitar is almost tender. His face is so intent, he’s so absorbed in what he’s doing. And what he’s doing is beautiful. The music is so rich and sweet.His hair is dark and tousled, and it hangs over his forehead and into his eyes. I would guess he’s about my age, perhaps a little older.He doesn’t look like an axe murderer. Maybe this is some ridiculous mix up with reservations. Should I confront him? Or climb out the bedroom window and run for help? As I’m considering my options, he looks up.“Hello,” he says. “You’re awake.” He offers me a smile that’s warm and wary, but it’s his eyes that really have my attention. He has beautiful eyes. Long-lashed and dark brown. He blinks slowly, almost lazily. My unease begins to fade.I find myself being drawn into the room – one tentative step, then another. Those eyes stay on me, gauging my reaction.“I’m not sure how much you recall,” he says. His voice is warm and mellow. “Should I introduce myself again?”“That would be a good idea, yes.” Despite a wildly beating heart, my voice is surprisingly calm. Calmer than the voice in my head, the one yelling at me to move away from the stranger who has appeared uninvited in my cabin. Away. Not closer.Guitar Man unfolds himself from the sofa. He’s tall. Much taller than he appeared when he was sitting. He smiles and offers me his hand.“Hello,” he says again. “I’m Angus Creed.”It could be the shock of what Guitar Man has said, or it could be the hangover, but suddenly my head is spinning again and the floor is coming up to meet me.“Hey...”I’m suddenly weightless as he scoops me into his arms and eases me onto the sofa. He crouches on the floor in front of me as I sag into the corner cushions and I stare into those dark, guarded eyes with the long lashes. This is Angus Creed?What the fuck is he doing here? I’m guessing the holiday brochure on Susan’s desk wasn’t for her, after all.“Are you okay?”“I’m fine.” I start to nod but stop quickly, wincing.“Headache?”“Um...a bit.” It’s an effort to think straight and I close my eyes, but when I feel his hand on my forehead they snap open again.This is surreal. I should be asking him to leave, not gazing into his eyes as he strokes his fingers over my forehead.There’s a roughness to his skin, no doubt from those years spent as a builder, not a businessman. But even so, his touch is gentle and soothing, like his music. A delicious sense of warmth flows through me.The pounding in my head begins to ease. I sink deeper into the sofa and might never get up again. But my mouth is dry and I run my tongue over my lips.“I’ll get you some water,” he says. Suddenly his hand is gone, but the warmth stays. There are sounds from the kitchen: the creak of a cupboard door and the splash of water into a glass.I wrestle myself into a sitting position and catch my reflection in the glass doors. My hair is flat. That means I must have worn my beanie at some stage. But when? Not in front of him, I hope.I turn my head and see he’s walking across the room to me, his bare feet moving silently over the timber floor. He holds out the glass and I nod at the blanket tossed over the armrest. “You were here all night?”“You asked me to stay.”Shit. Mr One Night Stand. What have I done? The horror must show on my face.“No,” he shakes his head, “not like that.”And of course his response means he knows exactly where my mind has gone. Quick. Backtrack.“Oh. Good. I mean...not that I thought...you and me, that we...” Oh, what am I saying? And why is he looking like that, listening so intently? Just shut up, Zoe. Shut up and drink the water.But it’s too late. The image is in my head now. It’s probably in his head too. At least I look fabulous and acrobatic in my version of events. I wonder if I’m hungover with flat hair in his.Guitar Man...Angus...Mr Creed...stays still by the fireplace. He watches me and I watch him. There’s the faint shadow of a bruise on the cheekbone under his left eye.When I’ve had enough to drink, I set the glass on the coffee table. “Thank you,” I murmur.“How are you feeling now?”“Better after the water. I needed that.” It’s true, my head is a bit clearer but the events of last night still elude me. I need him to explain exactly what happened. I also need to find out what I’ve told him. Did I tell him my name? Does he know I work for his company? That I’m the Zoe Harper who sent his reports off yesterday morning? I don’t think so, because I’m quite certain he wouldn’t be here, like this.My heart pounds. I’m not sure how to play this, but I find myself wishing he’d stroke my forehead again.

Suzanne Carroll lives in Sydney with her husband and children. By day she works in an office where she sneakily scribbles plot ideas on yellow sticky notes and hopes they don't accidentally end up on the departmental monthly report.

2015-02-14

Summary: Ticketing agent Jessamy Taylor has been in a dating slump exacerbated by moving her sickly mother into her home. The truth is she's never gotten over the quirky Dr. Griffin Sanderson whose Obsessive Compulsive Disorder drives her crazy, despite his excellent bedside manner.

Fly Me To The Moon is a love song covered by many, the most memorable being Frank Sinatra. Griffin whistles this tune incessantly, but that’s just one of the many odd quirks Jessamy Taylor either loves or hates about him. Since their ill-fated love affair two years prior, she’s found no one to replace the good doctor.

A date with a self-absorbed jerk that goes awry for Jessamy somehow ends with her in Griffin’s arms. Will the changes he’s made be enough this time, or will secrets tear them apart?

Kyla rasped, “I-Is that Griffin petting a dog over there?”Jessamy shielded her eyes with her hand and peered across the cul-de-sac. If she’d seen it first, she might have choked on her lemonade, too. Griffin Sanderson was petting the Fowlers’ dog.“Oh my God, he is!”“Don’t they have like a gazillion germs or something? And what happened to his glasses?”“Actually, some would argue that dogs are cleaner than humans. And Griffin got contacts.”“Finally. You know, Jess, he’s looking kind of good, today. You might want to tap that again since he’s had a makeover and all.”Jessamy waved her off. “I couldn’t possibly.”“Why not? The guy I see over there looks infinitely tappable.” Kyla set her drink on the table and folded her arms.Jessamy sipped her lemonade. “He may look tappable today, but you didn’t have to experience what I did with him as his girlfriend for two years. I should’ve called it quits after our Christmas trip to the Poconos, but I had fallen for him, and like so many misinformed women in history before me, I thought I could change him.”“You’d think you two would’ve been great together, twin OCD and all. And I thought you said the trip to the Poconos was perfect.” Kyla said, air-quoting the word perfect.“Everything was perfect up until that trip. We had so much in common. We both loved science fiction. We were both G.R.R. Martin geeks who watched the Game of Thrones show together and nitpicked how the show differed from the books. And even though I had the books on my kindle, he gifted me the hardbacks as a three-month anniversary present.” Jessamy smiled at the memory.“I remember. You two were enough to make regular folks gag.”“And you and Carter don’t—with your copious PDA?”Kyla laughed. “But at least we don’t get all aroused over an episode of The Big Bang Theory.”“Carter likes that show.”“Not more than he likes me, though.” Kyla actually twirled her hair.“Is he coming today?”“Yeah, after he does his Saturday morning nine holes with his boss. Ugh!”“Good, we’re going to need all the people we can get to eat up all this food.” Jessamy eyed the tables balefully.“Look!” Kyla said. “Griffin’s holding the Fowlers’ baby. Now doesn’t that make your ovaries want to explode?”Jessamy turned her head slowly, knowing the sight would slay her. Griffin never held babies. She took it all in as if in slow motion. Mark was holding their toddler in place as Jenny was cleaning up the sticky Popsicle he was covered in, while Griffin was holding the four-month old. He cradled her a bit nervously at first, then he seemed to get his baby-holding legs under him and finally began to smile and talk to her.Jessamy and Kyla could hear her baby giggle from where they stood. “Aww!” They said in tandem.

Bev Elle is the author of sweet and spicy, contemporary romance. She's a lover of books - those already written, and those she harbors in her very active imagination. Writing is a passion she's had for many years, but was unable to act upon. Until now. Bev Elle is the mother of three human children and two canines. She is also the lover of one husband. When Bev isn't writing in her spare time after work, she is thinking of doing so.

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

…and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

The second I walk into the room, six-foot-two and two hundred pounds of Garrett Graham block my path.
“Wellsy,” he says cheerfully. “You’re the last person I expected to see here tonight.”
As usual, his presence causes my guard to snap into place. “Yeah? Why’s that?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t think frat parties were your scene.”
“Well, you don’t know me, remember? Maybe I’m partying it up on Greek Row every night.”
“Liar. I would’ve seen you here before.”
He crosses his arms over his chest, a pose that causes his biceps to flex. I glimpse the bottom of a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve, but I can’t tell what it is, only that it’s black and looks intricate. Flames maybe?
“So, about this tutoring thing… I thought we should take a moment to set up a schedule.”
Aggravation shoots up my spine. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Never.”
“Then you need to start, because I’m not tutoring you.” I’m distracted now. Justin has reentered the room, his long, lithe body moving through the crowd as he makes his way to the pool table. He’s halfway there when a pretty brunette intercepts him. To my dismay, he stops to talk to her.
“Come on, Wellsy, help a guy out,” Garrett begs.
Justin laughs at something the girl says. Same way he was laughing with me a minute ago. And when she touches his arm and leans in close, he doesn’t back away.
“Look, if you don’t want to commit to the whole semester, at least help me pass this midterm. I’ll owe you one.”
I’m no longer paying Garrett even a lick of attention. Justin leans in to whisper in the girl’s ear. She giggles, her cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink, and my heart plummets to the pit of my stomach.
I was so sure we’d been, I don’t know, connecting, but now he’s flirting with someone else?
“You’re not even listening to me,” Garrett accuses. “Who are you looking at, anyway?”
I tear my eyes off Justin and the brunette, but not fast enough.
Garrett grins when he notices where my gaze was. “Which one?” he demands.
“Which one what?”
He cocks his head at Justin, then shifts it five feet to the right, where I notice Jimmy talking to one of his frat brothers. “Paulson or Kohl—which one do you want to bone?”
“Bone?” He has my attention again. “Ugh. Who says stuff like that?”
“Fine, should I rephrase? Which one do you want to fuck or screw or drill or make love to, if that’s your thing.”
I set my jaw. This guy is such an asshole.
When I don’t answer, he answers for me. “Kohl,” he decides. “I saw you dancing with Paulson earlier and you definitely weren’t making googly eyes at him.”
I don’t confirm or deny it. Instead I take a step away. “Have a good night, Garrett.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it ain’t gonna happen, Wellsy. You’re not his type.”
Anger and embarrassment flood my belly. Wow. Had he really just said that?
“Thanks for the tip,” I say coolly. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”
He tries reaching for my arm but I bulldoze past him and leave him in my proverbial dust.
I do a quick search of the room for Allie, halting in my tracks when I spot her making out with Sean on the couch. I don’t want to interrupt them, so I spin on my heel and head toward the front door instead.
My fingers are shaky as I text Allie to let her know I’m taking off. Garrett’s blunt assertion—you’re not his type—echoes in my mind like a depressing mantra.
Truth is, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. So what if Justin spoke to me in the hallway?
Obviously it meant nothing, because in the next breath he turned around and flirted with someone else. It’s time for me to face reality. It’s not going to happen with me and Justin, no matter how badly I want it to.
It was stupid of me to come here tonight.

Praise for The Deal

"Hannah and Garrett are funny, relatable, and their chemistry on the page is palpable enough to linger off of it. The Deal reminds me of all the reasons I love romance. Two capable, yet flawed people realize that living without the other is worse than anything else life can throw at them. I highly recommend it to fans of Easy by Tammara Webber or The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan. It'll make you laugh, maybe even tear up, but most of all leave you with that warm good book feeling at the end."

- Jane Litte, Dear Author

Romance. The most adorable couple. The banter - omg the banter. The romance. The friends. The flirtation. The smiles it gave me.

​-Mandi, SmexyBooks

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Elle Kennedy engages your senses from the very first sentence! Both deliciously steamy and heart-achingly tender, the Deal is an absolute winner!

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- NYT Best Selling author Katy Evans

Elle has masterfully captured the feelings, the romance and the unbridled sexiness of the New Adult genre with this book! You will swoon for Garrett! Alice Clayton, NYT Best Selling author of WALLBANGER

2015-02-11

Could you describe your writing routine and your experience writing this novel? Do you think this novel changed you as a writer? If "yes", how?

Throughout the years, my writing routine has changed and evolved until it’s pretty much not a routine at all. In the beginning I wrote in the late hours of the night and early hours of the mornings before and after work - after my son would finally go down for bed. Then I started bringing my stuff to work so that I could fit in some time away from the house while on my lunch break. That quickly turned into just writing whenever there was a free opportunity, which is probably why I initially wrote so much in such a short amount of time.

For the last year I have either been rewriting or editing books so the honest truth is that I don’t have a routine at all right now. And I really miss it. I miss being able to have my notebook with the chapters outlined sitting on the table while I concentrate on getting the story out of my head. I miss blocking out the world for a couple hours with my headphones in and just losing myself in something I find so much joy in.

With Maybe, the original draft was written in the span of 3 months. All 200,000 words. When it went into the publication process it was decided that it not only needed to be shortened, but it needed to literally be rewritten from scratch. I had about 3 weeks to rip the book apart by the seams and put it back together. And I’m not talking about deleting a scene. I mean fully redoing the plot, killing off 20 characters and changing the entire POV.

In the long run I know that experience affected and changed me as a writer for the better because I proved that I could do it. I know this story and these characters so well that I could tell their story any way I needed to.

Summary: Emily Portman loves her job. A writer for Breakout! Magazine, she shadows and showcases up-and-coming bands. When her next assignment takes her to Austin, Texas, she can’t wait to add the city to her map of places she’s visited. Places she’s left without looking back. Her plan is to keep moving on, and the last thing she needs is a man holding her back. She’s not going down that road again.
Tyler Macy is stuck in a rut. Despite his exceptional talent as a musician, he has chosen to take a backseat with his music and let others grab the limelight. Wounded and mistrustful, he doesn’t appreciate his friends’ efforts to bring him back to center stage. Emily comes onto the scene and sees his full potential, but he fights to stay in the shadows, shutting her out before she can add to the scars another woman gave him.
For Tyler to find his music again, he needs to accept the help that Emily and their friends offer. When he discovers that his muse lies underneath Emily’s skin, it is still not enough to keep her from walking away. Neither will admit what they really want until it is too late.
Emily is once again thrown in Tyler’s path when she is assigned to join them on tour. Despite the pain in his past, Tyler sees that she is worth it, even if she’s stolen both his heart and peace of mind. In order for them to be together, they both must discover whether the music and their passion are enough to overcome the obstacles that separate them.
Maybe finding love is worth the risk.

Walking toward him is like trudging through the deepest mud, but I hold my head high, my hands in my pockets and strides long. When I'm less than a foot away, his head turns toward me without lifting his chin, and he looks up from under his brows. The white smoke from his cigarette causes his eyes to nearly close before he pulls it from his lips and exhales upward into the air.
I'm struck by how incredibly handsome he is in black wool and new jeans. I want to know if his skin feels hot under his clothes and if his back feels the same when I scratch fingernails across his spine. My fists clench in my coat pockets at the thought. This is going to be so much harder than I'd been prepared for.

About the Author - A true child of music, Amber's parents surrounded her with the loudest beats they could find, molding her into a girl who found inspiration and meaning in lyrics and chords. Raised on John Hughes movies, Luck Dragons, and pirate ships, she dreamed of love and adventure. When Amber began to create her own world, she envisioned a place where Happy Ever Afters do exist. Since then, she has authored several romance novels, all of which focus on songs and the way they can touch people's lives. Music may not be able to fix a broken heart, but it can provide one hell of a soundtrack for healing.
A full-time wife and mother with a full-time job, Amber finds her muse in everyday life and the people who bring her inspiration.

"The characters are fun, likable, and well done. It's such a feel good story with a wonderful romance. Honestly, if you want a good, easy read with a cast of characters that will make you laugh and cry, and a romance that will sweep you off your feet then give this book a read. You won't regret it. " - Jennifer

It is almost always easiest for me to write the very first scene in any book and the same can be said about Accept this Dandelion. I don’t start writing a book until I have the first scene cemented in my mind. The inspiration will hit and the first scene will play itself over and over in my mind until I finally give in and write it down! For Accept this Dandelion, I knew I wanted to start with the main character’s disastrous audition. Her co-workers signed her up for a dating show, a localized version of The Bachelor TV show. She relents to the audition, but nothing goes her way. She’s amazed to be placed on the show, but nothing changes and still everything goes wrong. In a hilarious, dating disaster sort of manner that we, as readers, get to thoroughly enjoy!

The hardest scene came later in the book. I knew that I needed the character to make a trip to the hospital and I wanted her to have some type of sudden reaction to something or an accident of some sort. But that was as far as my idea went. I didn’t know how to make it happen in order to move my idea forward. I actually went to my readers via Facebook and my blog and asked for suggestions. One of the thoughts I got helped me brainstorm her out of the situation I got her in and land her right where I needed her to be! Once I got over that hurdle in this scene, everything flowed nicely. I also often have trouble wrapping things up towards the end of the book. I want it to be dramatic and touching and yet funny at the same time. I have to just trust the characters and my instincts and go with whatever comes out!

Renee Lockhart has her eye on a lofty goal…to fill the open position of morning radio show host at the radio station where she works. When her co-workers sign her up for a local TV version of “the Bachelor,” Renee goes along with it in order to raise her public profile. Ben McConnell, the most eligible bachelor in town, insists that Renee be placed on the show, despite her bumbling audition. Ben gets much more than he expected in Renee. He gets a girl who doesn’t bow to his every whim…and a girl who opens his eyes to true, unexpected love. When nothing goes right on the local program called "Accept this Dandelion"...hilarity ensues. Imagine your worst possible dates happening...on TV!

Brooke Williams writes in a sleep-deprived state while her daughters nap. Her romantic comedy is best read in the same state. Brooke has twelve years of radio in her background, both behind the scenes and on the air. She was also a television traffic reporter for a short time despite the fact that she could care less about hair and make-up. Today, Brooke stays at home with her daughters and works as a freelance writer for a variety of companies. When she isn’t working for paying clients, she makes things up, which results in books like “Accept this Dandelion.” Brooke is also the author of “Wrong Place, Right Time,” “Someone Always Loved You,” and “Beyond the Bars.” And she looks forward to the upcoming released of “Mamarazzi” and “Baby Sheep Gets a Haircut.” Brooke and her husband Sean have been married since 2002 and have two beautiful daughters, Kaelyn (5) and Sadie (nearly 2).

Praise for Accept this Dandelion

"This book is adorable. I had to sneak away from my desk to read the rest of it once I started. It had my smiling and laughing the whole way through."

-Sarah, Advanced Reader Copy Review

What could possibly evolve from such a strange attraction? That's the meat of Accept this Dandelion, purportedly a romance, but in essence so much more. Acceptance is, indeed, at the heart of Accept this Dandelion: acceptance of self, others, and the paths life offers up, whether for good or bad.

-D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, MBR

Read an excerpt

Renee leaned way over in her chair, throwing her arm up beside her for dramatic effect. She had the perfect line to close her short ad, but instead of delivering it, she flung one of the flickering candles to the floor with a loud crash.“Fire!” she screamed as she realized the flame had not extinguished, but rather had transferred itself to the hem of her dress.Before Renee could stop drop and roll, Ben leapt from his chair and threw himself across the small space separating them. The pressure of his body against her leg put out the fire instantly, but it also toppled her chair over, leaving them in a heap on the concrete.Renee found herself on her side with Ben’s breath on her cheek. She slowly turned her head, though what she really wanted to do was push him away and run out of the studio as fast as possible.“That was quite a commercial.” Ben didn’t make a move to rise. “Are you okay?”Renee wasn’t sure how the dress looked, but there were no burning sensations on her leg. There was a twinge in the pit of her stomach. She nodded. “I’m okay.” She met his eyes and allowed herself a few beats to study him closely. He was handsome. And now, he was even a hero. Though he wouldn’t have had to save her from burning flames had she not set herself on fire.Ben deftly got to his feet and pulled Renee from her chair as the producer rushed over and the camera operators stood by, panning down to capture Renee’s smoldering dress.“Hey, Renee,” Ben whispered into her ear, “next time there’s fire between us, I’m not going to put it out.”